Why Women Need More Sleep Than Men? (It’s Related to Their Ability to Multi-Task)

Sleep is essential for the body to rest and regain its strength. The recommended sleeping time vary by age, but did you know it can also differ by gender? According to a study, women need more sleep than men. It explains everything.

Just like food, sleep is very important for the body. This is a real moment of rest, where the body gets its energy in order to start the following day.

A good night’s sleep can help prevent weight gain and cardiovascular disease and boost the immune system and libido.

On the other hand, lack of sleep can impact many aspects of life. A person who does not sleep enough becomes tired and less productive, and will lack concentration. The short night’s sleep also increases the risk of premature aging of the skin, impacts the nervous system and cognitive performance and may cause other diseases on a long-term, such as type 2 diabetes.

The need for sleep varies greatly according to the age of the person, but also according the lifestyle. While children need between 9-11 hours of sleep, adults, have to sleep on average 8 hours per night. However, this period is not the same for both genders.

Women need more sleep than men

A recent study has revealed that women need more sleeping hours than men. Researchers at Duke University, US, have found that women are much more vulnerable to lack of sleep, as it has greater physical and mental consequences on them than on men.

In addition to giving women a reason to sleep longer, this observation may help new health recommendations for women who have a higher risk of developing heart disease, depression and other psychological problems.

This controlled study by sleep expert and clinical psychologist Michael Breus, measured the effect of sleep deprivation on women.

According to a member of the research team, the results showed that short sleep duration in women is closely linked with high levels of psychological distress, greater feelings of hostility, depression and anger.

On a contrary, these observations do not apply to men who have the same level of lack of sleep.
“This is the first empirical evidence that corroborates our findings on the role of gender and its effects on sleep and health,” says one of the researchers.

Always, according to the study, women with significant sleep disruption exhibit a high level of interleukin-6 and c-reactive protein (CRP), markers of inflammation that are associated with an increased risk of developing cardiovascular disease.

Why women need more sleep than men?

When it comes to determining the number of hours of sleep a person needs, several biological factors come into account. Nevertheless, experts say this largely depends on how much mental energy is spent daily. According to them, women spend more than men.

In an interview with the newspaper The Australian, Jim Horne, director of the Sleep Research Center and Loughborough University in England said that “one of the major functions of sleep is to allow the brain to recover.”

Indeed, during the period of deep sleep, the cerebral cortex, which plays an important role in memory functions and other nerve functions, goes into recovery mode. So the more you use your brain during the day, the more you will need recovery time and therefore sleep.

And since women have the ability to multitask and be flexible, they use their brain more than men.

The right moves to take to sleep better

1 in 3 Americans are prone to sleep disorders. This is a problem that is becoming increasingly common, facing the current lifestyle.

If you suffer from sleep disorder, it is very important to have a good routine before going to bed. That is to say, you need to adopt certain habits to improve your quality of sleep rather than disturbing it.

The following habits are highly recommended:
• Avoid caffeine stimulants at night
• Avoid naps longer than 30 minutes
• Turn off the lights in your room
• Use your bed for sleep and not to watch TV
• Go to bed at a set time